Endless solid-rubber tire.



No. 806,101. PATENTED 131:0,1905. R. D. BRADLEY.

ENDLESS SOLID RUBBER TIRE. Arrpiouxoy FILED'AIR.10,1905.

UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. BRADLEY, OF CANTON, OHIO.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. BRADLEY, a citizenof the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Endless Solid-Rubber Tires; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to endless solid-rubber tires for childrens vehicles; and the invention consists in a tire which is of solid rubber, preferabl y round in cross-section, and provided with an inelastic woven lining about its inner circumference where it rests upon the rim, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel with a grooved or channeled rim. with the tire in position to turn it upon or about the rim; and Fig. 2 is' a central cross-section of Fig. 1 on line x w on said figure. Fig. 3 is a central cross-section of the wheel alone, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the tire alone, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the tire-ready for use.

The invention as thus shown appertains more particularly to the grade or kind of vehicle-wheels used for baby-carriages, childrens express-wagons, and the like, where the tire is used in conjunction with a wheel-rim substantially semicircular in cross=section and which is relatively light in itself, being usually formed up or fashioned from a suitable grade of thin sheet metal and in which reliance is placed mostly on the depth of its side'flanges for confining the tire. However, mere depth of groove or flange alone has been found not to serve the purpose, because the tire necessarily is elastic, as it is necessarily comparatively soft and .flexible, and hence if there be no other means to confine it upon the wheel it will roll out of its place under torsional strain,

as in cases of short turns with a heavy side pressure, in which a side rolling effect is exerted and inevitable displacement of the tire follows.

This is common experience with the unprotected'tires in wheels of thiskind. I have therefore anticipated this defect in the all-rubber elastic tire and a simple grooved or flanged.-

rim to carry the same byproviding a tire which is equipped with a retaining medium of its own, and where the old tire itself is converted into a practically inelastic or non-stretchable tire, but which, notwithstanding this charac- Specifi cation of Letters Patent. Application filed April 10, 1905. Serial No. 254,662.

I teristic,

- edge thereof.

ENDLESS SOLlD-RU BBER TIRE.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

can be placed upon the rim with its relatively high side flanges, as heretofore made and used.

*To these ends the invention comprises a wheel with a rim A, substantially semicircular or less in cross-section or with a circumferential channel or groove about its periphery of a rounded form and having a flange a at each side and a solid-rubber elastic tire B, adapted to be permanently secured in said groove. Upon the tire thus made I seal or cement a suitablestrongwoven-fabricliningO,such as-asuitable grade of canvas, about its inner circumference or surfaceand of a width substantially equal to the width of the groove 0/ from edge to The said lining is permanently adhered to said tire, and the tire as thus made and comprising therubber portion B and inner restricting-lining O constitutes a completeand original article of manufacture and sale. The said inelastic lining meets snugly at its ends, so as to leave no space between said ends to be bridged or spanned with an extra piece of fabric at any time, whether before or after the tire has been placed on the wheel. Now having a grooved or flanged wheel-rim and an elastic tire provided with an inelastic lining, as described, and desiring to place the tire on the wheel, I first encircle the rim with the tire as far and as fully as can be done by hand, as in full lines, Fig. 1.' This leaves a portion 2 equal toabout one-fifth of the entire length of the tire lying outside the rim. The next step is to lessen this outside length by somewhat forcible means until the length thereof is relatively about as seen between points 3 and 4:, and which also carries such outside portion up mu ch nearer to the rim. The first taking up of the portion 2 is obtained largely, by drawing all possible slack out of the tire where it incloses the rim, which is helped by working the stock forward about each side to the tension-points 3 and 4H 7 Then power is applied by suitable means to turn or roll the remaining outside portion 5 between points 3 and 4 into the channel of the rim, which must involve at least a measure of surrender in the lining O at this point and more or less back therefrom in the other portion of the tire, and there is a certain stretching of the goods obtained which does not constitute elasticity as such and which nothing but severe strain can efiect. Thus the tire is at last it may be further secured by cementing the same to the rim. Now, looking for the secret of the eifectiveness of a tire built in this way, it Will be seen that the lining has become and is a definite restricting-band on the inner circumference of the tire so far beneath the edges of flanges a that it is practically impossible to remove it therefrom when once in place Without disrupting the lining.

When the tire is once on the wheel, it resets itself thereon, distributing any stretching it may have received at one point more than another around its entire portion and resumingits normal condition uniformly at all points.

Obviously if a tire of this kind can be used on other and larger vehicles it may be Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

If preferred, the ends of the lining might overlap, which would be equivalent, in effect, In both the entire inner surface of the tire is to matching them as used herein. cases lined.

It will be observed that the flanged channel or groove in the rim of the wheel is permanently formed, as shown, and that there is no .in the manner described.

Way to place the tire on the rim but by carrying it over the flanges thereof substantially When on, this is the practical effect and value of the invention, that a solid elastic and comfortable cushioning-tire is obtained which is practically tied about the base of the channel in rim A by reason of the inner lining portion of the tire fitting closely upon said rim.

What I claim is As a new article of manufacture, a tire for childrens vehicles consisting of a solid endless annular body of rubber adapted to be rolled onto a rim and havinga liningofclosely- Woven fabric cemented to the inner circumference thereof and covering the entire inner surface of the tire.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT D. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

F. J. WILsoN, EDWIN DAvIs. 

